Two streets in downtown St. Catharines, Ont., remain shut down as firefighters continue their efforts to completely put out a fire that lasted nearly 18 hours.
The blaze at 17 Queen St., previously the site of the newspaper, began around 11 p. m. on Friday, according to city spokesperson Scott Rosts in a news release issued Saturday evening.
The fire department reported that they managed to control it by about 5 p. m. on Saturday.
However, both Queen Street and William Street are closed on Sunday while crews work in the area, as shared by the city on social media around 9:30 a. m.
St. Catharines Fire Services tweeted around 10:30 a. m., stating that drivers can exit from the Ontario Street garage.
“William Street will be closed again through Monday morning to allow for crews to do their work safely and efficiently,” the city said. “We still ask the community to avoid the area.”
The fire originated on the upper floor of the building and spread to other sections, Rosts mentioned. Part of the roof fell in, leading firefighters to use an excavator to access different areas of the building and extinguish the flames.
He added that “due to the severe structural damage and unsafe conditions,” there won’t be an investigation by the Fire Marshal, who has declared the cause of the fire “undetermined.”
No injuries have been reported among civilians or firefighters, according to Rosts.
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